Before Ten Years After
by Relena Yuy
Summary: This comes before my other fic, Ten Years After
1. Before Ten Years After: Prologue

Well hello again. I'm in a really good mood. You know why. Because everybody was really nice and reviewed my story. So, here is the first part of what I guess would be kind of like a prequal to the other part. As for some questions. I simply decided not to include Noin, Zechs, and Une in this fic. If someone wants to they can right what they thought happened to them, but do it in the same style as this and be sure to let me know before posting it. Okay, and now to the fic.

This takes place directly after the end of Endless Waltz. I know everybody wanted to know what was going to happen next, but that will have to wait. Once I get all of this part of the fic up, I'll tell what happens after Ten Year's After.

Before Ten Years After: Prologue

Before A Husband and a Nightmare:

Heero watched as Relena bowed to the applauding crowd. She probably knew that he was up there on the upper balcony watching her. She always knew when he was near. It was like she had this sixth sense that went off when ever he came anywhere near her. He cared for her, but he didn't love her. No, that wasn't it. He couldn't love her. The perfect soldier could not allow himself to love. He couldn't love her, but that did not mean he couldn't watch over her and keep her safe. He would always stay by her side in the shadows, defending her from any nightmare that tried to swallow her whole.

Before A Priest and a Haunted Heart:

Duo smiled as Hilde ran towards him with the inventory list that she had kept while he was gone. Even when he had gone away to fight again, she had kept the scrap yard going. She had waited loyally for him to return and for once she listened when he told her not to try and help in the fight. They had been living together almost two year now. They had been bestfriends since Hilde had switched sides and only recently had their relationship started to blossom into something more romantic. Heck he'd even told her that he loved her and that he knew she was the only one for him. He didn't know what he would do without Hilde. She'd asked him this once, and he'd jokingly answered. "I don't know babe, I just might have to go be a priest if I can't have you"

Before A Brother and A Broken Heart:

Trowa's face remained featureless as he made his way towards the circus tent. Although his face showed no emotions, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the figure peeking through the tent's doorway, waving at him. Catherine he thought, why is it that you make me feel so strange. It didn't matter who he was around, normally he could keep a straight face that showed nothing of what was going inside his mysterious mind, but whenever he came near Catherine, a little bit of emotion couldn't help but seep through that rocky exterior. At that moment a smile crept into his cold features. Trowa thought to himself, I don't know what I would have done without you Cathy. You're the best sis; no you're more than a sister besides we aren't related. Well, whatever you are Cathy, you're the best a person could have.

Before A Widower and A Lonesome Heart:

Quatre shook of the endless congratulations and well done's that Rashid and the other Maguanacs were giving him. It wasn't that it bothered him, it was just that sometimes the constant praise was overbearing. As the commotion started to die down, Quatre slipped away to his room, for some time to think and let the reality of peace sink in. As much as Quatre hated war, at least it was an escape from the monotony of office work. Even though his 29 sister helped out, the bulk of the work of running the Winner Corporation weighted heavily on his shoulder. He wished he had someone to share his thoughts with and to just hold on to. He only hoped that if that person ever came along that he would never lose her like he had so many other loved ones.

Before A Husband and A Lover:

Wufei complained about the injustice of having a women as a partner aloud, but on the inside he thought about how glad he was that the women at his side was his partner. Sally was the most capable woman he knew, heck she was one of the mot capable people, man or women that he knew. They were walking through a village. They were supposed to be looking for a mysterious contact who supposedly had some inside info on some group that was going to rebel. A young boy darted around a corner only to bump into Wufei's leg and fall to the ground. Instinctively Wufei, began to scold the child about not having any honor and how he would bring his family injustice if he continued to be so careless. Sally ignoring what Wufei was ranting about started to tend the now frightened child's scraped knee. By the time Wufei shut up, Sally had his knew all patched up and he quickly got away. Wufei felt Sally's arm on his should she led him away. With that kind of attitude, you should never have kids Wufei, she commented. As she said this, a vision of Wufei and Sally married and with children appeared in Wufie's mind. Wufei shook his head. Where on earth did that come from he thought? Sally just gave him a funny look.

Okay what do you think? Love it, hate it, tell me, just no flames please.

What ever you do don't comment about the Trowa/ Catherine part. I know according to the Episode Zero manga they are brother and sister, but Trowa doesn't know that.

****

Teresa aka Relena Yuy


	2. Before Ten Years After: Chapter 1

Hello everyone, yes I'm back and I have a new chapter up, I've decided to continue in the same format that I've been using before, but this time I've made the separate parts longer. If you haven't read the prologue yet, you don't have to read it, but it may give some better insight on this first chapter. Sorry for the long wait, I was going through somewhat of a personal crisis and got kind of depressed and just never got around to writing this until now. I hope you like it and remember, please read, enjoy, and review, but don't flame. Use constructive criticism if you don't like it.

Before Ten Years After: Chapter 1

Before A Husband and a Nightmare

As the sun rose above the horizon, it sent a shaft of light down through an open window, illuminating the figure seated at a small silver cosmetics table. Relena double checked herself in the mirror and adjusted the scarf around her neck. Today was just another business meeting just another proposal to be excepted or rejected another treaty made or broken. Since the war had ended life seemed to slow down for her. There was no more fighting, no more bloodshed, no more war, and no more Heero. This later thought lingered in her mind like a cloud that refused to clear up after the rain had ended. Now that it had been over a year since she had last seen him for real, her life seemed so empty. Sometime she thought she would see him in the crowds she was addressing or in the shadows during her visits to foreign countries, but whenever she attempted to actually find him, he seemed to disappear into thin air. It was like he was now only a figment of her imagination, an illusion, a specter of the past coming back to haunt her just enough so she wouldn't forget him. Her girlish crush for him had disappeared during this period of absence from one another. What she felt for him now felt more passionate, and at sometimes was at the point of lust. There would be no more chasing after him though, no not anymore, that was the past, that life had disappeared with the last sign of war over a year ago. For now she would simply hold his image in her mind like a page of a book that has such a brilliant poem, that you can't help but read it over and over again, never bothering find out if there might be even better poems beyond that page of life. Looking at herself in the mirror one last time she left the mansion and seated herself in the waiting limousine.

Before A Priest and a Haunted Heart

A faint breeze blew the curtains of the open window creating the affect of a ghost trying to get back to its home and the people it loves. Realizing that the wind was causing a draft in the room and that she did not want to catch cold, Hilde walked over to the window and shut it, clasping in shut with the lock. She shivered slightly in the still cool air that the window had allowed in the house. Duo had already gotten up; it was odd for him to be up before her. Most of the time she was showered, dressed, and had breakfast on the table before he even begun to stretch to awareness. Oh, well she thought, he must have some important business this morning, I'll just eat a quick breakfast and go find him. Over the past year, the business the two of them ran together had grown and now drew a fairly descent profit, well at least enough for the two of them to live comfortably on. Neither of them cared that much for the finer things in life and what they had was more than enough for them both. The business wasn't the only thing that had grown this past year, they're relationship had taken a much more romantic and passionate turn of late. It wasn't unusually for him to come home and greet her with a kiss, or for them to attempt a romantic dinner followed by a movie that they would watch curled up in each other arms. They had made out, but it never went any farther than that. Amazingly it had been Duo who kept them from actually making love to each other. He had told her that all though he was not a practicing Catholic, in this church it was a sin to do such things outside of marriage, and he would at least follow this commandment for the sake of the memory of Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. It had only been recently that Duo had divulged the story of his child hood to her, the pain the suffering, and the deaths that went along with it. That night she had held him tight until dawn letting him release years of tears that he had held back since childhood. That night she had found another side to her Duo, no only was he Shinigami, but also an angel whose wings had been torn to shreds from one tragedy after another. Realizing that she had let her thoughts get away with her, Hilde poured herself a cup of coffee and went off to find her angel, her devil, and her lover.

Before A Brother and A Broken Heart

The knife cut through the air like a streak of silver lighting. Nothing could make it go off course and the crowd stared in silent awe at the spectacle before them. At last it came to a halt on the target board, only millimeters away from the neck of Trowa Barton. Catherine bowed to the crowd and as if some signal had been give they cheered in a sudden uproar of applause. She heard the ringleader announce her name and that of Trowa, and they stood in the spotlight hand in hand in the afterglow of the crowd's reaction. When the spotlight finally left them to focus on the next act, she let out a sigh of relief, that final knife had gone way to close to Trowa if had landed a centimeter to the left it would have pierced his jugular vein in his neck. This hadn't gotten any reaction from Trowa though; he always managed to keep his stony expressions during the entire routine. Heck, she could probably actually hit him with the knife and still would stand there with the same stony mask on his face. She had to admit though; he was easing up a little recently though. Sometime he favored with one of his oh so hot smiles that would send shivers down her spine. Maybe it was good that he didn't make any expressions during these routines, one of those smiles just might sent one of her knifes a little more far to the left than intended. By the time she came out of her reverie her and Trowa had made they're way back to their trailers that were next to each other. It was then that she noticed he was looking at her and was giving her one of those smiles. She wanted to hit him for looking so good and at the same time being such a nice guy. Instead she decided to see if she could get a reaction out of him and placed a quick peck on his cheek and waved goodnight to him in a flirty school girl manner on her way to the trailer. He just stood there like she had just thrown a knife at him. Catherine giggled to herself as she closed the door behind her.

Before A Widower and a Lonely Heart

The clouds seemed to reflect the mood of the girl kneeling in the middle of the graveyard. They were both looking gray and murky at the moment. Dorothy laid the last flower on the grave of her parents' before moving on to where her grandfather was buried. As much as she had denied caring that they were not there for her before, she could never stop coming back to these graves. Maybe it was because there was no longer a war and she no longer had anything to do, maybe it was because there was no one to home anymore besides bustling servants, or may because it was that she was lonely and wanted to be close to the ones that only now she realized she had cared so dearly for her and had given her that same love in return although through her eyes it had not seemed as much. She said a prayer, and then got up to leave. It began to drizzle and she wished that she had brought an umbrella with her after all. The rain got heavier and all at once she began to cry. It wasn't because of the fact that she was going to get all wet, or because she missed these people so much, it was because of the sudden realization of how much of her life she had wasted. All these years she had thought she had been an advocate of war, and told her self how much she loved to fight or to witness fighting and killing that came with war. The tears streamed down her face more quickly and freely now, just as the rain had gotten harder. In the recent years since the war with the colonies had ended, Dorothy seemed to find her self in this state of emotions often. She knew it would do her no good to cry, that it would not bring back her life. It would not fix the things that went wrong all those years that she had lived with a hardened heart. It would not make her parents come back to life. But it seemed to free her soul just a little, relieve the tension that had existed for so long. So, many tearless years had gone by unnoticed, and now she would not stop herself. She sank back down to the grave of her grandfather and curled herself into a fetal position. Allowing her to cry freely. All of the sudden the rain above her seemed to stop. She looked up to see a welcoming face holding a green umbrella above her head and an extended hand to help her up. At that same moment, the tears that had been streaming down her face also disappeared. She grasped the hand like there was no tomorrow and all at once she found herself smiling. Maybe all had not been lost after all.

Before a Father and A Lover

The room was filled with complete silence; the only thing that could be heard was the faint buzz of the fluorescent lights that illuminated the otherwise dark room. It seemed like the world had been like this for the past couple of years. Since peace had finally been achieved there seemed to be less and less for the preventers to do, A year ago they would've normally been at least a few assignments a week, now they were lucky if they got one. Sally yawned as she looked through the last of the papers she had just finished filling in. It was the final copy of a report for an assignment her and Wufei had gone on at least two maybe three weeks ago. She yawned again and took a sip from the now cold cup of coffee. She heard a grunt come from the only other occupant in the room. It was her partner Wufei. All of the sudden he exploded with rage. What is the point of us even being her women! We've had so little to do that we have nothing to do but file papers for an expedition we went on two and a half weeks ago. I don't see why they don't just shut down the preventers. Zechs and Noin left 6 months a go when they got married, and despite the fact that there is less people there is still no more work for those of us that are still her. If it wasn't for my sense of honor I would leave right now and refuse to come back until they have some real assignments to do. Why should I waste my time with a job that is doing nothing. This does not serve any form of justice, it is all just a waste of time. When we do even get an assignment these days, it consists of checking out a threat, that half the time ends up being written by some amateur criminal who was to scared to have ever even followed through with it. Sally drowned out what Wufei was saying and let her thoughts wander. She had heard this same speech from him it seemed like every day for the past year. Why didn't he just quit, heck she might just do that, if she had to listen to him rant about not having anything to do again. Finally, extremely sick of what he was saying, she just screamed at the top of her lungs, she didn't say anything she just screamed. Then stopped and stared at him. He had stopped talking abruptly when he had heard the unexpected disturbance and looked to see what was wrong with her. All of the sudden, Sally got an almost cruel idea in her mind. Why not, now that she had his attention. She let herself go limp and collapsed to the floor. Sally watched through half closed lids as he came over to her and checked her pulse, he then went on to see if she was still breathing, as he did this she held her breath. She saw his reaction when he didn't feel her breathing and he bent down to perform mouth to mouth recitation As he brought his head down, Sally grabbed his neck and planted a kissing square on his mouth. When he finally realized what she had done, he left the room fuming mad and muttering obscenities under his breath. Sally just smiled to herself as she remembered the brief taste of his lips from when she had just kissed him. As he left the room, Sally yelled after him half laughing: "Wufei I'm ashamed of you, kissing me without even asking, just for future notice you're welcome any time that you want" Wufei just grunted and slammed the door behind him.

Well did you like it, I don't know what it, but I always seem to make the Wufei and Sally part the longest, oh well. Once, again I would appreciate no comments concerning the whole thing about Trowa and Catherine, whether or not they are related. Please tell me what you think and if you have any ideas on how things should happen that lead to my other story "Ten Years After". I'm always open to suggestions and I would love to hear your opinions. Thanks for reading,

Teresa aka Relena Yuy 


	3. Before Ten Years After: Chapter 2

Before Ten Years After: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any related characters.

Author's Note: Once again, I'm sorry, for the delay in getting this chapter out, I've had it written for almost two months but I never typed it up or posted it until no please forgive meJ Gomen.

Before A Husband and a Nightmare

The second hand on the clock slowly made its way around the twelve as raindrops chased one another from the clouds to the ground. A single figure stood alone in oblivious to the tears the clouds were shedding all around him. Light could be seen coming from a near by window. The window was on the façade on of almost gothic looking edifice. Various statues stood around the building, and from a distance the figure would have blended right in if it weren't for his slight movements due to breathing. Although the figure's exterior was stony in side the restless mind of Heero Yuy fought a battle with itself.

He glanced at the building once, more and finally haltingly moved from his statuesque position. The way he faltered made it look to as if he were reluctant to leave his position. In reality he was reluctant but he was going to do it, he was going to walk away from the spectacle before him, he was going to leave Relena Dorlian for good, for she was a spectacle he had been watching for much too long, so he told himself.

In the last two years he had gone form what he told himself was no more than a bodyguard's watch to a constant vigil. She had barely been out of his site for more than a few hours. Now it was time to break this habit or rather end this addiction he had. He could not allow himself to watch over her any longer. Before recently, he would sit and watch from the shadows, gun ready for any sign of danger. But with the peace finally settling in and even the occasional assassination attempts had ceased long ago. Yet, even though he was needed less, he was there more. But that wasn't the reason he must now leave, it wasn't because she didn't need his protection that he was going to leave. He wished it was that simple. No, it was because as the need for protection decreased his watchfulness had increased. His eyes weren't on her only at public meetings or gatherings like they used to be. No, now he watched her almost constantly. Sometimes he had even sneaked into her room and watched her sleep all night. On one such occasion he had gone as far as to crawl into bed with her, but he was sure to be out of her site by morning, but she not out of his site. Even a year ago he would never have gone that far without her permission. And that was the other thing, since he had done that how was he to stop himself from going farther than simply lying next to her. He had admitted to himself that he was in love with her, of course she would never know that, now that he was leaving. His felt that his love was too dangerous, almost more like a lust than a love. Yes, right now she would be safer out of his eyesight. This is what he told himself again and again as he got farther away from his object of affection. Deep down inside he only hoped that he was right.

Before a Priest and a Haunted Heart

A bell jingled as a figure walked into a small jewelry boutique. Through the glass display of diamonds in the window, one could see the man talking to the clerk behind the desk. Something one said seemed to make the other smile, and then the clerk handed the figure a package in exchange for a payment. As the figure walked out he almost seemed to be floating with glee. His gate looked more like a little kid skipping than the grown man he was as he made his way over to his transport.

Duo watched Hilde's eyes light up like two brilliant stars as she opened the small gift box. Today marked their two-year anniversary of officially being together and he had decided to give her the present he knew he would give to her one day from the moment he'd met her. The next few moments went by in a joyous whirlwind as he proposed to her ad she returned his love and answered yes with a passionate kiss. This was the highlight of his entire life and he knew that once he and Hilde were married it would only get better. The two of them had laughed and cried together since they had met four years ago. They had hid nothing from each other and did everything together. 

It was only recently that a conflict had arisen. Hilde and confided in Duo that she wanted to go to medical school to become a doctor. Duo had been supportive and agreed despite the fact that he knew it would meant much less time for them to spend together. At first she had only taken a few classes so it didn't interrupt their lives too much. But more recently she had started attending a school off of their colony, and they were sometime apart for more than a week at a time. That is why he had finally decided to pop the question. He had hoped that the proposal would help to close the small rift in their relationship caused by their absence from each other. Also after this term, Hilde would be done with school and they would finally be together again full time. The gleam in Hilde' s eyes told him that she felt the same way. He just knew everything would work at as planned or at least that is what he told himself. But only time can tell.

Before a Brother and a Broken Heart

The sounds of music and applause came out of a yellow and red circus tent on the L3 colony. As an act was completed the applause grew louder and spotlights followed a pink clad performer from the center ring to the sidelines.

As the applause continued Trowa couldn't help but crack a smile. Cathy always got the most attention when the circus went anywhere; Trowa could see why, of course he would never tell Catherine that. He knew that Cathy was crazy about him, she had increasingly flirted with the entire time he had been with the circus troop. He would occasionally return her emotions though in less obvious terms of affection. Maybe a pat on the back, or a quick embrace, and even a peck on the cheek when no one was looking, but that was a far as he would go. He knew that Cathy wanted a lot more from him, she wanted to be intimate, but for now she seemed to be pleased with their flirtatious friendship. With him barely twenty, and she older than him, he had found himself reluctant to get to romantically involved. Besides the age difference, it was unprofessional; but then again, a circus wasn't exactly a professional atmosphere. Although these were the reasons he often told himself most often for not getting more involved with her, something else at the back of his minded seemed to be bothering him. He knew that he loved her, but he was reluctant to give into his feelings. Maybe he was just afraid he could lose her through something as simple as a miscalculated jump on the trapeze, maybe he was just to shy and didn't want to admit it, maybe it was something else. But whatever it was his mind couldn't seem to grasp it, and at the moment he had no time to do any deep thinking.

As he looked up he saw Catherine making her way towards him. He would have to be ready to go on in a couple of minutes. When she reached him, they hugged briefly and he told her good job. As it had become her habit she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and told him good luck with his performance, and not to the lions eat him and then went on her way to her trailer to change for her next act. As she walked away though, Trowa still couldn't stop himself from staring at her graceful figure getting smaller and smaller and farther and farther away.

Before a Widower and a Lonesome Heart

Approaching lights could be seen through the fog, and gradually the lights merged to reveal a limousine. IT gradually came to a halt in front of a large mansion. Two figures emerged, obviously, one was male the other female. The male was revealed to be none other than Quatre Reberba Winner, and the female, his companion of late was Dorothy Catalonia.

He led her to the main entrance of her mansion, gave her a quick kiss on the hand and a polite farewell, then turned to leave. As her heard the door creak shut behind him, Quatre wistfully looked back before making his way to the waiting vehicle. He wished the time he and Dorothy spend together would last longer. Ever since that day at the cemetery they had grown closer, healing the wounds left by loneliness with each other's love. At first he had thought that it was she who need the healing, but after just spending a little time with her, he had realized he too had needed someone other than the maguanacs. The amounts of time the two of them spent with each other never seemed to last long enough. Maybe dinner, or tea, and even an occasional duel, but other than that it was just had to find time to do things, especially when both of you are the soul hairs of a fortune and in Quatre's case the head of a huge corporation. Quatre told himself and Dorothy that he would try to make more time, but it never seemed to work out as planned. He knew that he wanted to spend more time with Dorothy, but even if they married that would just put more stress on the two of them. Besides he didn't want to drag Dorothy into the tumult of running his deceased father's business. He would just have to wait and see what fate had in store for him and her.

Before a Husband and a Lover

Fluorescent lights buzzed in an office room, drowning out the sound of a faint feminine humming. The lights gave a yellowish tint to the bouquet of white flowers sitting on one of the office desk, the source of the humming. Another figure a male, seemed to be glancing up in the desks direction every so often as if trying to steal a look without anyone knowing.

The flowers sitting on Sally's desk were obviously the last thing she had been expecting to see on her birthday. From the expression on her face, Wufei could tell couldn't help but feel good to be the receiver of that smile now radiating from her being. He didn't believe in open shows of public affection, but some how his feelings for Sally had caused an exception to his normal decorum. They interacted only as partners when others were watching, so few people had an inkling of their feelings for each other, but when others weren't around; they were much more than just partners. Chances were, most of their coworkers, with the exception of a few probably though his flowers were from some secret admirer of Sally's and Wufei was the last person they would suspect. And as far as he was concerned they could just keep thinking that way. Public on the job relationships were unprofessional anyway. Wufei was half way tempted to tell the Onna to stop looking at him, but before he could tell her that he would have to tell himself to stop glancing over at her. Half of him wanted to say Happy Birthday to her right that moment and pull her into his arms. The other half of him, told him to stop thinking about Sally, and that there was paper work to do. The later half won out. As he glanced up at Sally one more time though, he knew that his first half would get the better of both of them later if he didn't control himself, maybe next year he'd consider even giving her a kiss with the flowers. This last thought almost sent him humming as he started on his paperwork.

Well what did you all think? Hate it love it, want me to continue, want me to stop. Please be nice if you're going to criticize though. Also, please don't comment on the Trowa /Catherine relationship thing. I promise to get the next chapter up quicker. Until next time.

Teresa aka Relena Yuy


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